What Does Your School Data Team Sound Like?
A Framework to Improve the Conversation Around Data

First Edition

Other Titles in:
Data Analysis | Decision Making Tools | Standards & Accountability

October 2018 | 176 pages | Corwin

Get your data team working effectively!

Data is a valuable resource for improving education. Unfortunately, many school teams struggle to make sense of new and often overwhelming data. What Does Your Data Team Sound Like? provides an approach that supports teams as they review a range of data sets, and improves their conversation about effectively applying data to instructional decision-making. Written to help teams navigate the world of data analysis for on-going school improvement, this book offers an easy to follow framework that dives deep into data-driven instruction. Readers will find:

Easy, step-by-step analysis techniques
Case studies that demonstrate different approaches
Checklists and flowcharts to help visual the process

Developed by expert authors who have worked with data teams across a wide variety of settings and scenarios, this book will help educators take action to create better learning environments for students.

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

1. Changing the Lens With the Data Analysis Team (DAT)

Is Data the New Four-Letter Word?

Changing the Lens for How We View Data

Where Did All This Data Come From?

Okay, Let’s Change the Lens!

Summary

2. What Should Your Data Team Look Like?

Mixed Versus Nonmixed Data Teams

Goals of the Data Team

What Are the Roles and Responsibilities of Each Team Member?

How Will Meetings Be Facilitated?

Preparation, the Key to Success

Activities

Summary

3. Getting Over the Fear of Data

Fear of Data

What Is a Data Set?

What Is a Database?

Archival Data

Setting Up a Database

Entering Data Correctly in a Cell

Levels of Data

Assessment Data

Levels of Accountability

Activities

Summary

4. How to Know What Works

What Works, Anyway?

What Are Improvement Cycles?

How Do Researchers Determine What Works?

Pre-Post One Group Design

Summary

5. Following the Steps in the Exploratory and Confirmatory Cycles

Exploratory Cycle

Confirmatory Cycle

Summary

6. More Ways to Examine Data

Using Different Variables to Sort Data

Graphing Data

Types of Graphs

Activity

Summary

7. Collecting Formative Data

The Role of Formative Data in the Confirmatory Cycle

Using Classroom Observations as Formative Data

Reliability of Observational Data

Tips for Conducting Observations

Using Surveys as Formative Data

Piloting the Survey

Collecting Survey Data in School Settings

Activity

Summary

8. Adding Parents to Your DAT

Include Parents, Rather Than Exclude Them

Parent Validity

Activities

Summary

9. Continuing the Conversation Surrounding Student Data

Looking at Individual Items

Adding Other Variables to the Conversation

Looking at District Level Data

Summary

10. Scaling Up Data

When to Expand to Other Locations

A Model for Scaling Up: Patterns in the Data

Using Capacity to Scale Up

Summary

Epilogue

References

Index

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A Framework to Improve the Conversation Around Data

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